60,000 saplings to be planted to make New Town greener

As many as 60,000 saplings will be planted in New Town this year as part of the drive to make the city green.

This was decided at a meeting held between senior officials of Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (HIDCO), New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) and the state Forest department. The meeting was held to find out the strategy to be adopted for making New Town greener. The saplings will be planted in Eco Urban Village, Eco Park and in other places in New Town. Avenue plantation will be done along the new streets. It may be mentioned that the recycled waste water will be used to water roadside trees. On streets that are parallel to the main arterial road, tall trees will be planted in between streetlight poles in road medians where hedges have been planted. HIDCO has set up several tall tree nurseries.

On July 14, HIDCO will distribute fruit saplings free of cost at a function. It will also urge NGOs and clubs to maintain trees for a year and the areas where they will be allotted space. HIDCO had planted 60,000 trees in 2016 and it has been decided that the Forest department officials will visit the areas where saplings have been planted and would inspect their growth. They will plant fresh saplings in places where trees have been uprooted.